Condenser for fumes of metallurgical furnaces.



No. 676,380. Y 'V Patented :une n, lem.

- E. BALAcH, 1n. CNDENSER FR FUMES 0F METALLUBGICAL FUBNCES.

(Application led Mar. 15, 1901. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Arrow/vimA me Dams PETERS co moraLnumwAsx-lmamm n4 l.

UNiTED STATES ATENT Prion.

EDVARD BALBACH, J R., OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO BALBAOH SMELTING dr REFINING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CONDENSER FOR FUMES OF METALLURGICAL FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 676,380, dated June 11, 1901. Application filed March 15,1901. Serial No. 51,230. (No model.)

To all whom, it rmt?! concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD BALBACH, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing in Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Condenser-s for the Fumes of Metallurgical Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved con- 1o denser for the fumes of metallurgical furnaces, and more especially for regaining the flue-dust containing metal in chemical combination' held in suspension in the fumes from metallurgical operations carried on in blast or reverberatory furnaces, and the invention is more particularly designed with the view to recovery of lead-dust from the fumes or smoke carrying the same.

Heretofore the fumes were conducted o through long flues which extended over considerable distances, often of many thousand feet, 'for the purpose of cooling the fumes and causing the metallic particles contained therein to be deposited in the form of the so- 25 called liuc-dust.

The object of the invention is to substitute a condenser in the form of a tower for collecting this dust carried along by the fumes. For this purpose the invention consists of a 3o tower of masonry or other suitable material provided with longitudinal and transverse partitions and with inlet and outlet tlues, the inlet-nue being connected with the furnace and the outlet-opening with the stack. The g5 tower is provided in its opposite walls with air-spaces running up to its full height, one of these spaces being connected at the bottom of the tower with the outside air by a series of openings, While it is closed at the top air- 4o tight by a suitable covering. The airspace at the opposite side is closed -at the bottom and open at the top and preferably extended as a chimney. The air-spaces of the opposite walls are connected through the partitionwalls of the tower by means of horizontal or slightly-inclined pipes, preferably of metal, which are tightly cemented to the partitionwalls, so that a current of air is created from one air-space to the other by means of the 5o connecting system of pipes. The fumes are carried alternatelyin upward and downward direction through the lues formed by the Apartitions and iinally conducted oif. They partition-walls are provided alternately at the bottom and top with openings for the fumes for permitting the fumes to ascend and descend in their course.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical longitudinal section of my improved condenser for the fumes of metallurgical furnaces, taken on line 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation; and Fig. 4t is a horizontal section on line 4 4:, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre- 'sponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, Aindicates the condenser, which is in the shape of a tower, built of masonry or other suitable material. The tower A is connected at the lower end 7o with the furnaces by a flue- B and at the opposite end by an outlet-flue B with the stack. The tower" is divided by longitudinal and transverse partitions O O', respectively, into a series of vertical tlues, the longitudinal partitions nearer the inlet-flue being arranged at a greater distance from thel bottom of the tower than the following partitions, which extend farther in downward direction, as shown in Fig. 1, so as to intercept the fumes that are delivered from the inlet-flue and conduct the same then in upward direction through the vertical flue between the longitudinal and transverse partitions. The fumes pass through openings 0 at the upper end of the first transverse partition-wall into the next series of (iu'es, then through the openings o' in the next partition-wall at the lower end to the next flue, and so on alternately through all the vertical flues of the tower, as indicated in Fig. 2. The openings o diminish in sizein the successive partitions, as shown in Fig. 1, so that equalization of the pressure is obtained. The condenser is provided a-t the two opposite longer walls with air-spaces d d', which run through the full height of the walls, the air-space d being connected near the bottom of the tower with the outside air by a series of openings d2, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The tower is closed airtight at the'top by a suitable roof D and a slatted structure E above the same, so as to permitthe cooling action of the air passing therethrough. The air-space d at the opposite side of the tower is closed air-tight at the bottom, but provided with removable plugs d3 for cleaning the same of any sediment that settles in the lower part of the same. It is open at the top and preferably made in the form of a chimney d, There is no communication between the air-spaces and the interior of the tower, but the air-spaces are connected with each other by a large number of horizontal or slightly-inclined metallic or other pipes F, which are arranged in staggering vertical rows, asshown in Fig. l. The air-pipes are tightly cemented in the corresponding openings of the walls and in the inner Walls, so that the current of airis created from one air-space to the other through the connecting system of air-pipes E.

The tower is divided by the longitudinal and'transversev partitions into a number of lines, through which the fumes are conducted, alternately ascending and descending in the saine. The inlet-fine B is at one corner of the condenser and the outlet B at the opposite diagonal corner, as shown in plan view in Fig. 4, The fumes upon entering from the comparatively narrow iue B into the larger fines of the tower have their velocity greatly reduced in such manner that the respective velocityof the fumes in the flue B and the tower are inversely proportional to their sections. This reduced velocity causes the slower travel of the fumes and gives sufficient time to the particles of Hue-d ust to settle more completely than in flues of even dimensions.

'The operation ofsettling is considerably aided by the cooling effect of the large air-cooled surface of the metallic or other of the tower. Compressed air may also be liberated in the pipe system for quicker cool- ,ing through the larger volume and greater velocity thereby obtainable. The line-dust is precipitated at-the bottom of the tower and is there collected and removed from time to time. This is assisted by openings in the top or roof D of the condenser, which are closed by doors e (indicated by dotted lines in Figs. l and 2) and through which an attendant can be lowered, so as to clean the pipes from the adhering fine-dust.

The advantages of my improved condenser are, that in a comparatively small space and pipes F, exposed to close contact with the fumes by the system of pipes traversing the vertical finesA in c lose proximity to the furnaces and stack the lu'e-d ust can ybe collected ina very effective manner, that with Vthe long overground system of lues heretofore in use requiring for ventilation by natural draft, stacks of considerable height, besides forming .an eX- tremely-cumbersome part of a well-arranged metallurgical plant.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new andgdesire to secure by Letters Patentl. A condenser for the fumes of metallurgical furnaces, consisting of a tower-shaped structure, provided with longitudinal and transverse partition-walls, an. inlet-flue at one side, an outlet-line at the opposite side of said tower, openings arranged alternately at the upper end and lower ends of the longitudinal partitions, air-spaces arranged in the opposite walls-of the tower, pipes passing through the longitudinal partitions and connecting said air-spaces, air-inlet openings into the air-space in one end walland an airoutlet at the upper end of the air-space of the opposite wall, substantially as set forth.

2. A condenser for the fumes of metallurgical furnaces, consisting of a tower provided with longitudinal and transverse partition-walls, an inlet-Hue at one side of the same, an outlet-flue at the opposite side of the same, said transverse walls having'inlet-openings at their lower ends, connectingopenings arranged alternately in the upper and lower ends of the longitudinal walls, said inlet-openings diminishing gradually in size from the inlet-flue toward the outlettine, and the said connecting-openings divminishing in. size from the outlet-Hue toward the inlet-due, air-spaces in opposite Walls of the tower, pipes connecting said airspaces and passing through the vertical ues formed by the longitudinal and transverse partition-walls,airopenings at the lower part of one wall into the air-space of the same, and an outlet at the upper end of the airspace of the opposite wall, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ED TARD BALBACII, JB..

iVitnesses:

EDWARD RANDOLPH, SIMON MAYER.

IOO 

